slewth

Middle English

Alternative forms

• slewthe

Noun

slewth

1. sloth; idleness
   • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parson's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, section 23, line 388:

     Of the roote of thise sevene sinnes thanne is Pryde, the general rote of alle harmes; for of this rote springen certein braunches, as Ire, Envye, Accidie or Slewthe, Avarice or Coveitise (to commune understondinge), Glotonye, and Lecherye.

     Of the root of these seven sins, then, is Pride, the general root of all harms; for of this root spring certain branches, as Anger, Envy, Accidia or Sloth, Avarice or Covetousness (to common understanding), Gluttony, and Lechery.

References

• “slewth”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.